I Promise
by Tala Mitena
Summary: An almost forgotten memory is rediscovered, and an unfulfilled promise is finally kept. RS. Oneshot.


**Author's Note: Something I thought up after the paopu charm I made broke. It was very sad. But inspiring. W00t. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I'm just borrowing the characters.**

I Promise

_A soft breeze caressed his cinnamon locks as waves slid along the shore, whispering slowly. Behind his back, he cradled an object with the utmost care, his small fingers tapping against it gently. His limpid, sapphire eyes watched the horizon expectantly. He was waiting._

_His lower lip was drawn between his teeth as his eyes saddened. He'd been waiting. Where was his friend? They were best friends weren't they? Best friends kept promises, and they'd promised to meet here. _

_He sat on the sun-warmed planks of the bridge and sighed heavily. He pulled the object from behind his back, examining its smooth, waxy, fragile surface. It was then that a familiar voice greeted him._

_"Sora!" It called as a small boy with bright eyes and silver hair came running across the bridge._

_Sora stood swiftly and returned the object to its haven. He locked eyes with the silver-haired boy and pushed his lower lip out into a small pout. "You're late, Riku," he accused with narrowed eyes._

_Riku smiled softly. It was enough of an apology for Sora._

_"Mama told me a story last night." He said proudly._

_Riku giggled. "So? She tells stories all the time."_

_Sora pouted again and shook his head. "Not like this one. Its a special one, she told me so."_

_"What makes it special?"_

_"Its true." Sora stated._

_"Oh yeah? Well, tell it to me."_

_"I was gonna, but you wouldn't let me. Mama said there was a fruit that grew here called a paopu. She told me that if you share it with someone you love you'll always be able to find eachother. She said it was like making a promise to be with them forever."_

_"I've already heard that story." Riku said lightly._

_"Oh." The brunette pouted once more, then looked up at Riku through thick lashes. "Riku?"_

_"Mmmhmm?"_

_Sora took a deep breath and, once again, pulled out the object from behind his back. It was a bright yellow fruit, shaped like a star, with green leaves hanging from the points. A paopu. "Will you share a paopu with me?" he whispered._

_Riku opened his mouth to answer._

_Sora's grip on the paopu faltered._

_The delicate fruit tumbled to collide with the bridge, its flesh splattering across the planks._

_Sora gasped. It had taken him so long to climb the tree and get the paopu. He wanted so badly to share one with Riku, to make sure they would always be together. Tears pooled in his eyes and a heavy sob sent them rolling down his cheeks. __  
_

_"I-I'm sorry," he choked out, falling to the ground. His sobs were violent now, each struggling breath sent a shudder through his entire body. "I...j-just...I want...to...to be with you...fo-forever."_

_Riku sat down beside the sobbing boy, petting his head until he had calmed. "Don't worry Sora, we'll share a paopu fruit someday."_

_Sora sniffed, hicupped and then asked hopefully, "Promise?"_

_Riku smiled. "I promise."_

They'd forgotten that promise. For a while, at least. It wasn't until recently, ten years after the incident, that Riku had remembered it. He'd promised to share a paopu with Sora, his best friend. But, ten years had made that promise a little different, a little more exciting, a little more nerve-racking. It was no longer a promise to his best friend, it was a promise to the one he loved.

Riku glanced over at Sora, who was peacefully watching the sunset, as the two sat on the beach. His aqua eyes roamed hungrily yet admiringly over the younger teen's frame. After a while, Sora turned to Riku and frowed as he realized what those piercing, turquoise eyes were watching.

"You okay?" he asked tentatively. His heart-rate had quickened considerably.

"Do you remember that day, when we were little, when you dropped the paopu?"

Sora's sapphire eyes were suddenly swirled with sorrow and nostalgia, and they tugged at Riku's heart. The brunette nodded, chocolate spikes bouncing in his face.

Riku took in a deep, nervous breath and reached into his pocket, extracting the fruit that had been carefully nestled there all day. Sora's eyes widened and he smiled brightly.

Riku's confidence grew at this reaction, and he took a bite from the paopu, chewed, and swallowed. He handed the rest to Sora, murmuring, "I'm finally keeping my promise." He watched as Sora delightedly finished off the star-shaped fruit.

As he beamed up at Riku, the latter reached out to cup Sora's cheek. Sora' expression softened and he leaned into the hand, sighing contentedly. He'd wanted this for so long.

Riku regarded Sora with wide, suprised eyes for a moment, before pulling him close. Sora snuggled into Riku's warm body as teh silver-haired boy lifted Sora's face and placed his lips gently against the brunette's.

Their kiss was deep and tender, but cautious, and filled with the sweet taste of the paopu, the taste of a fulfilled promise. As the kiss ended, Sora buried his face in Riku's neck.

The two were still tangled in a warm embrace as Sora asked breathily, "Promise to hold me like this forever?"

Riku smiled. There was nothing in the world he wanted more than to hold Sora. "I promise."


End file.
